Monday, September 12, 2016

Well written dialogue will move your story forwards, allow the reader to really get to know the characters and allow you, the writer to show instead of telling. It also makes for a more attractive page within a book, one which isn’t a solid block of text and therefore more appealing to the reader.

How to ensure your dialogue works hard in your story:

There is no need to include all the normal everyday parts of dialogue. Take your reader straight to what matters and leave out things like hello or goodbye. You also don’t need every ‘umm’ to make the conversation sound realistic.

Use dialogue to show your character. Every time your character says something the words they chose and the way in which they speak will bring life to your character and enable the reader to get to know them.

The use of dialogue tags, like he or she said, isn’t always necessary, but ensure it’s clear just who is talking. There is nothing worse than having to scan back up a page to work out just who is talking.

Take care when you have more than two characters involved in a conversation. Use some dialogue tags and you do not always have to ensure each character takes their turn.

Use your scene. Build in what’s happening around the characters and what actions they make as they talk. Make it a living breathing discussion instead of constant to and fro. When you want what is said to really stand out and make an impact use only the words the character said.

Different characters will use different words. An old lady would not sound the same as a teenage girl. Think about your characters and how they would speak. Make each one unique and recognisable to the reader.

Ensure your dialogue moves the story forward. It should reveal your character, show their emotion to the reader so chose your words carefully. Make each one count.

Don’t allow a character to use long rambling speeches. Break their dialogue up with internal thoughts or actions going on around them or another character’s dialogue.

Finally, read your dialogue out loud. Did it sound natural and flowing to read out? If not, think of how it can be changed, then read it again.

***

I love escaping to distant shores with my characters, entering their glamorous world and feeling all the emotions they experience as they discover their love for one another. A love so strong it will overcome all obstacles eventually, leading to that promised happy ever after.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

September 7 Question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?That's a great question!Like everyone else, my life is full to overflowing. Busy full time job (no spare time even during lunch for us!), homework for the job, family, house upkeep, treadmill & physio exercise, and then all the fun stuff.Because of all of that, I rarely get uninterrupted writing time. A whole hour in a block is a thrill during the school year. Thankfully, I've trained myself to sink into the story without any rituals or warm up activities. As soon as I boot up the laptop, I'm ready to dive in. I can write in small blocks of time and then jump back in again after the interruption.Elizabeth Spann Craig's blog is a fabulous source of hints for the busy writer and I've adopted and adapted a lot of her ideas to fit my own world.How about you? Do you write in small chunks as well? Any hints to squeeze in more writing time?